At risk of non-compliance withStability and Growth Pact, running a budget deficit during an expansion cycle, unable to fix public healthcare, unable to do a pension reform, unable to address the public sector’s trade union requirements, but growing at 2.2% … the Government of Slovenia is celebrating the end of the great depression that lasted from 2009-2015 by introducing a new holiday – January 2nd.

January 2nd is not actually new. Most regimes in the former Eastern Block introduced two work-free days for New Year so as to replace Christmas which was banned. Similarly they introduced two work free days for May 1st – for a good measure of social justice after cancelling Easter.

May 2nd still is a holiday in Slovenia but January 2nd was cancelled at the peak of the crisis in 2012. It is now being re-introduced so that the working people of Slovenia “could have a proper rests after the exhausting New Year’s celebrations”.

Twitosphere suggested that the name of the new holiday would be Mirovdan – the Miro Cerar Day. Mr. Cerar is the current prime minister hoping to boost his popularity with this “not populist” proposal.